Raptors Analysis: Whiteside has as much upside as anyone in the draft not named Wall or Favors. He's a super-long, lanky shot-blocker who nearly had four triple-doubles this season in points, rebounds and blocked shots.

With the Raptors in danger of losing Chris Bosh this summer, expect Toronto to swing for the fences to help fans forget Bosh if he bolts.

I like Whiteside as a pick. He's got upside and the type of game the Raptors need. He'll take a couple of years, but if Bosh leaves, the Raptors certainly have time. I'd much rather take a bit of a project than try and go after someone who might contribute right away, but who probably won't turn out to be all that good. I wouldn't be surprised if Whiteside moves up and out of the Raptor's range.

If the Raptors draft Whiteside and sign Johnson they will have a nice core of four young players from which to build around.

I for one happen to think that Triano did a very good job with the young gunz this season. He certainly did a lot for Johnson and Weems. No doubt that all those starting minutes he gave to DeRozan have also helped him in his early development as an NBA player.

So maybe a drafting a young guy like Whiteside with a huge upside is the right way to go with Triano as the head coach.

It will be interesting to see if Weems wants an extension, or believes he's worth more than that. I have a feeling Weems will want to wait and make more money when he becomes a free agent.

My guess is that if the offer is reasonable Weems takes the money and runs. The looming lockout and then a new CBA seeing contracts slashed as the end game will have a lot of guys interested in locking in now.

My guess is that if the offer is reasonable Weems takes the money and runs. The looming lockout and then a new CBA seeing contracts slashed as the end game will have a lot of guys interested in locking in now..

I agree especially in light of what is going on right now in Europe. I think that there will be a worldwide economic meltdown before the end of the 2010-11 season and the next CBA sets in. There could even be a lockout as you say.

Better for Weems to lock it in now, as long as it is fair and equitable and not have to deal with it in the summer of 2011.

I kind of feel bad for guys with larger contracts that expire on June 30, 2011 and have a almost zero chance of getting an extension between now and then because of the size of their contracts.

My guess is that if the offer is reasonable Weems takes the money and runs. The looming lockout and then a new CBA seeing contracts slashed as the end game will have a lot of guys interested in locking in now.

That makes sense for a lot of guys, but, as far as I know, an extension can only raise a player's salary by something like 10%, which would mean Weems would be making a lot less than market value if he signed an extension.

That makes sense for a lot of guys, but, as far as I know, an extension can only raise a player's salary by something like 10%, which would mean Weems would be making a lot less than market value if he signed an extension.

The maximum salary in 2009-10 for players with one year NBA experience was $13,250,000

The salary in the first year of an extension to a rookie scale contract may be any amount up to the player's maximum. For all other extensions, the salary in the first year of the extension is limited to 110.5% of the salary in the last year of the existing contract. However, it also can't exceed the maximum salary the player can receive if he were to sign a new contract that year as a free agent (see question numbers 11 and 12).

Raises in each year of an extension to a rookie scale contract are limited to 10.5% of the salary in the first year of the extension. For all other extensions, raises are limited to 10.5% of the salary in the last year of the existing contract. If the salary in the first year of an extension is amended as described above, then all subsequent years of the extension are also amended to accommodate the maximum raise, if necessary.

Uh, so it would be a 10.5% raise if Weems were NOT on his rookie contract, then. Am I reading that right?

I really am not sure. I didn't look for that. I only looked for the rookie contract extension rules because I thought Weems was on a rookie contract. Is that not the case? If it isn't then you might want to go to the link and read what the rules are for a non-rookie contract extension.

It seems though on a rookie contract that the first year of an extension is limited only by the maximum salary unless I am reading it wrong. Then every year thereafter is limited by 10.5% annual increases.

I believe that CP3 got an extension on his rookie contract. He went from $4.5 million a year in year 4 of his rookie contract to $13.5 million (the maximum salary)in year five.